I know you hate him,
'cause you said you did.
How can you fake it?
It's some misunderstanding.
Inside, you're delivered from the stress.
You say that you're fine,
but I think you're wishing.
November 25th, 11:15PM Friday
Riddle Mansion
"WE'RE GONNA CRASH!"
"Stop it Jenny, you're completely overreacting."
"The doors right there, you can put us down now!"
"Would you calm down?"
"Don't tell me to calm down…"
"O just stop it, we're almost there…"
"Don't you think we're going a little fast and the door is right there…"
"We don't seem to be slowing down…"
"O CRAP!"
"Brace yourself!"
November 26th 3AM, Saturday
Riddle Mansion
"Jenny, wake up," Khalida called out as she nudged my shoulder gently.
"My head," I groaned as I clutched the right side of my forehead and slowly sat up.
The Anglia had unceremoniously dropped us off right inside Riddle Mansion. I thought back to the night before and remembered our spectacular entrance, the Anglia crashing directly through the two large wooden doors. Chunks of wood both large and small were scattered around us but the car was gone.
"Where'd the car go?" I asked curiously.
"Who knows," Khalida replied with a shrug, "I can't remember anything that happened after we crashed through the front doors."
"I can't remember either," I said as Khalida helped me up off the floor, "We must have been knocked out."
"I wonder how long…"
"About four hours," I interrupted after checking my watch.
"I suppose we should take a look around," Khalida said as she scanned the room for any potential threats.
"This place is creepy," I whispered as a shiver ran down my spine. "Lumos," I said softly after pulling out my wand.
Creepy wasn't really the word for Riddle Mansion, the place was one hundred times more frightening then Lovegood Mansion. The place looked like it hadn't been lived in for years and it most likely hadn't. I held my wand high as I took in the room in which we had been deposited.
Snakes seemed to be the theme of the room and I wondered if the rest of the mansion was the same. Paintings of snakes lined the walls and the door leading into the next room had snakes engraved all over its surface. Even the rug under our feet displayed five or six large, green snakes with beady red eyes.
"I think Voldemort kind of overdid it with the snake theme, don't you?" I asked as we headed toward the door on the other side of the room.
"Shit!" I exclaimed loudly, "Where the hell's Draco?"
"I don't know," Khalida replied, "Adrienne seems to be missing too."
"If she took him…"
"Let's not jump to conclusions," Khalida interrupted quickly, "For all we know someone could still be living here."
"Does it look like anyone's been living here?" I asked sarcastically as I motioned toward the empty room, "If there is anyone here they aren't very good housekeepers."
"We haven't seen the rest of the house yet," Khalida responded as she opened the door in front of us slowly.
As we moved from room to room, even Khalida had to admit that the mansion appeared to be deserted. My nerves were on edge and I listened for any noise that might allude to Draco's whereabouts. I couldn't care less about what had happened to my aunt, unless she was the one who had taken Draco and when I thought about that possibility I couldn't be sure what I would do once I found her.
"What is this place?" I asked nervously as we stepped through a set of double doors into a large room lined on both sides with rows of wooden benches. Stained glass windows covered the wall to the right, each depicting different scenes involving angels.
"I don't know," Khalida replied, "It almost looks like a church."
"It is," a female voice called out from behind us. We quickly turned to face the intruder. I gasped in surprise as I stared into a familiar pair of bright, blue eyes.
"You…" I stammered softly.
"He built this for me you know," the short, gray-haired woman said wistfully. I felt Khalida stiffen next to me as the woman walked toward us but I stood as still as a statue. I stared at the woman's face, taking in the high cheekbones, the twinkling blue eyes and her beautiful smile.
"I always told him that I wanted to marry in a church so he built this room with his magic," the woman continued with a faraway look in her eyes, "I was always amazed every time he used magic. He could do such beautiful things with it."
"Who are you?" Khalida asked hesitantly.
"I think the better question would be, who are you?" the woman asked as she turned her attention to the both of us, "I assume that Adrienne lead you here but after seeing her condition I don't see how she was fit enough to show you the way."
"The man you brought with you is Draco Malfoy," she continued, "I could recognize him as soon as I laid eyes on him. But you two are a different story."
"So tell me," the woman commanded, "Have the wards fallen around the mansion or were they taken down?"
"The wards are still in place," I responded, "Where are Draco and Adrienne?"
"They are both resting in bedrooms on the second floor. I had two of the house elves take them up. I was going to move both of you but I became sidetracked and forgot that you were there."
"You forgot?' Khalida asked in disbelief, "How could you just forget we were there?"
"I forget many things these days," the woman replied with a wave of her hand, "The magic surrounding this place has been very hard on my mind."
"What do you mean the magic is hard on your mind?" I asked in confusion, "Can the same thing happen to us?"
"Of course not," she responded with a soft smile, "I only meant that for muggles like myself it's difficult being surrounded by magic day in and day out for such a long period of time."
"You're a muggle!" I exclaimed loudly.
"What in Merlin's name is a muggle doing in Riddle Mansion?" Khalida asked thoughtfully.
"Where else would I live," the woman stated simply, "then here with my husband."
"Your husband?" I choked out.
"O, where are my manners? I completely forgot to introduce myself," she said as she held out a hand toward me, "Evelien Riddle."
A few moments of silence passed as I stared dumbly at Evelien's outstretched hand until Khalida finally stepped forward and grasped the woman's hand firmly in her own. The vampire graced Evelien with a warm smile.
"Khalida List, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine," Evelien replied warmly, "It's been so long since I've spoken to anyone besides the house elves, it will be nice to have guests in this old mansion. But you still haven't told me why you've come here."
"Perhaps I should explain," I broke in as I stepped forward and quickly took Evelien's hand. Our eyes met as I held her hand. Instead of shaking it I just stood and stared at her.
"You look familiar," Evelien said before I could introduce myself, "Do I know you?"
"I don't think so," I responded nervously, "My name is Jenny Riddle."
"Jenny…Riddle…did you say Riddle?"
Evelien's eyes widened in surprise as I nodded in reply. She studied me for a moment before dropping her hand. I stood there for a few seconds with my hand still outstretched as I waited for her reaction. Without saying a word she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a hug.
"You should not have come here my child," she whispered softly into my ear.
"You're my grandmother aren't you?" I asked hesitantly and I could feel her nod against my shoulder. "But then why wouldn't you want me here?"
"It is a long story my dear," Evelien replied as she pulled away to hold me at arm's length, "A very long, very sad story."
"How could you marry Tom Riddle?" Khalida asked bluntly.
"O no, you've got it all wrong," Evelien responded with a chuckle, "I've never deluded myself into thinking that I married Tom Riddle."
"But you're my grandmother aren't you?" I asked in confusion.
"Of course child, I did tell you as much didn't I?" she replied.
"But if you married someone else then why do you have the last name Riddle?" Khalida questioned.
"Well Voldemort would have been a rather long last name wouldn't it?" Evelien asked in an amused tone.
"So you did marry Tom Riddle then?" I asked as Khalida let out a frustrated sigh.
"No, you don't seem to understand," Evelien explained, "I married the Dark Lord Voldemort."
"Why?" Khalida and I both blurted out at the same time. Evelien gave us a puzzled look before replying.
"Because I loved him of course."
"But if you're a muggle then didn't he hate you?" I questioned.
"O yes," she replied with a nod, "He loathed me, despised me, and probably thought of killing me many times. There were times I hated him as well."
"But then…I don't understand," Khalida interjected.
"He hated me but cared for me at the same time," Evelien explained, "because he viewed me as weak and useless yet I was the only one able to give him the one thing that no one else could."
"And that was?" asked Khalida.
"Unconditional love," she stated simply, "Oriel loved him no matter what kind of monster he was and he loved her despite her being what she was."
"What was she?" I asked curiously.
"A simple, magicless muggle just like me," Evelien replied, "It was ironic really that his only weakness came in the form of one he should have wanted to destroy."
"What about Adrienne though?" Khalida asked in confusion, "Didn't he care for her? I mean, she is a witch isn't she, so why wouldn't he care for her more."
"Because Adrienne is like Voldemort," Evelien explained, "She's crafty, cunning, and powerful. Adrienne was born from a pureblood witch, although I wouldn't be able to tell you who the witch was."
"Oriel on the other hand was kind, caring and completely innocent. In Oriel Voldemort saw a young Tom Riddle. She was born into a life of magic, yet she had none, so he spoiled her rotten and made sure that she would never feel alone."
"But why would he do it?" Khalida questioned thoughtfully, "Why would he care so much about a muggle even if he did identify with her? We are talking about the most evil dark lord in history here."
"A wicked heart beats just as fiercely as a good heart," my grandmother replied, "But a wicked heart is much more dangerous because it will do whatever is necessary for it's desire."
"Although a good heart will sometimes do wicked things when necessary," she added while giving me a pointed look that made me think she was no longer talking about the relationship between my grandfather and mother.
"What did my father do to get his heart's desire?"
"Your father made a deal with my husband," Evelien explained, "although he didn't know all of the details."
"It was your mother," she continued sadly, "who made the greatest sacrifice so that the two of them could be together."
"What could she possibly have offered Voldemort in exchange for Harry Potter's safety?" Khalida asked thoughtfully.
"The only thing she had to offer," Evelien stated despondently, "her son, or should I say, Harry Potter's son."